Physiological Insights Into the Role of Pericytes in Spinal Cord Injury

Spinal cord injuries (SCI) disrupt blood vessel regeneration, which is crucial for tissue repair. Pericytes, cells that wrap around blood vessels, are important for maintaining the spinal cord's blood supply network. Following SCI, the normal communication within the neurovascular unit (NVU) is disrupted, leading to impaired blood supply, ischemia, and further tissue damage. This disruption allows pro-inflammatory substances and immune cells to enter the spinal cord parenchyma, contributing to further inflammation and tissue injury. Pericytes interact with other cells in the neurovascular unit, like endothelial cells and astrocytes, to maintain the blood-spinal cord barrier and regulate inflammation. They can also turn into scar-forming cells, influencing tissue repair after SCI.

• 1
  Pericytes are essential for maintaining the integrity of the spinal cord vasculature after SCI by providing neuroprotection, maintaining stem cell pluripotency, and promoting angiogenesis and vessel maturation.
• 2
  Following SCI, angiogenesis is triggered, but the new blood vessels formed are often insufficient to fully restore the damaged vasculature and support a functional recovery due to inadequate pericyte coverage.
• 3
  CD146 pericytes can differentiate into neurocytes and replace damaged neurons. NG-2 pericytes promote revascularization, tissue healing, and vascular stability. PDGFR-β pericytes contribute to scar formation.